Landing field light



June 21, 1932.

F. R. HOUSE LANDING FIELD LIGHT Filed Sept. 50, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l NEGATIVE FEED CONTROL soz.s-om v NITR .l/OUSE June 21; 1932. F. R. HOl JSE LANDING FIELD LIGHT Filed Sept. 30. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet a. III

1 Qw/wr If #01155 WTTORNEY.

June 21, 1932. ,F R HOUSE 1,864,436

LANDING FIELD LIGHT Filed Sept. 50. 1930 3 Shee ts-Sheet s LAMP BOX

CONTROL PANEL INVENTOR @kfl/VK 5 House.

ATTORNEY.

Patented June 21, 1.932

' r A UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE FRANK v1B,. HCUSE, OF BALDWIN HARBOR, YORK, ASSIGNOB 1'0 SPERBY GYBOSGOPI COMPANY, DIG. OI BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION QI NEW YORK LANDING FIELD LIGHT Application fled September 50, 1980. Serial Ho. 485,891. g

t1ve electrode holders 64 and 65, is mounted This invention relates to landing field floodlights or beacons for airplanes and more especially to the high intensity are type of landing field light. Since 1t is one. of the first essentials of such lamps that they be at all times in condition to light and remam lighted, I provide a stand-by system by which ahigh power incandescent hght is automatically placed in position and turned on in case the are lam is extingu shed for any reason. Preferab y I-locate the mcandescent light within-the same housm as the arc lamp, thereby saving the cost 0 an extra housing and lens. Preferably also I provide a means by which either the arc lamp or incandescent light ma be lighted at will and also a means where y, after the arc is extinguished, it will automatically be relighted when the main switch is again thrown on. I V

Referring to the drawings in which the preferred form of the invention is shown,

Fig. 1 is a. vertical section thro h a floodlight housing enclosing my com ined are and incandescent lamp unit;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, partly in section, with the cover removed.

' Fig. 3is aview similartoFig.2showing the are moved out of position and the incandescent lamp into focal 'tion.

' Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectionaldetail of the central portion of the lamp unit.

Fig. 5 .is a sectional end view of the control switch on the unit.

Fig. 6 is a sectional viewat right angles to Fig. 5. e Fig. 7 is awiringdiagramofthedevice. Fig.8isawiring showingamodified arrangement for operating the lamp changer.

My dual lamp unit is shown as mounted within a flood-light housing 1 having a Fresnel lens 2 at the front and outwardly 0 doors 3 and 4 at the back thereof, said doors being hinged respectively at 5 and 6. The housing is provided with the usual ventilating screen apertures O at the bottom thereof and exhaust fan 7 driven by the motor 8 in the top cover 9 thereof. The are lamp mechanism, consisting of positive and negapenmg on a column 66' on a carriage 10.- Said car riage is shown as .mounted on rollers 11, the

carriage being mounted to roll back and forth on a tra'ckway or double tread rails, 12. The

feeding of the electrodes is preferably accomplished through extensible shafts 13 and 14 which are driven from suitable are con-'.

cotter pin 23 on a bell crank lever or arm 24 be ig. tlilstfi tihg other position. This may accomp e y. securing a spring 21 between said rod 16 as by cotter pin 22, and av mounted'on theshaft 25' of said tumbler switch. It will readilybe seen that as the rod 16 moves to the dotted line position that-i the tumbler switch will be snapped from the position shown with arm 24 against stop pin against pin 166.

There is also mounted on the carriage a means for moving the incandescent lamp 29 into position as the arc' lamp is moved out of ition. Such means may comprise a rack to the vopposite position arm 2!:

25 with which the teeth of the large gear I 26 engage. Said gear is see to the sleeve (Fig. 4) which supports the base 28 holdthe incandescent lamp 29. It will readily be seen, therefore, that as the arc'unit is moved to the right in Fig. 2, the lamp unit will be rotated about the shaft 26 of the gear '26 to the lamp around to the position shown in Fig. 3, the arc lamp at that time bemg moved to the rearand out of the way.

Preferably the rear of the arc lamp unit strikes the rear doors 3 and 4 as it is moved backand opens them slightly so as to emit a shaft of light to warn the operator that the arc is extinguished. This-also puts the arc lamp in a readily accemibleposition for recarboning or repairs.

The movements of those parts are preferably controlled from one or more electric moenergized. v

Let us assume that the arc is operating. In

tors preferably a D. C. motor and an A. motor 31. Each of these motors is connected as by a chain 32 to rotate the screw shaft 33 which is threaded through a nut 33' (Fig. 4) fixed under the arc lamp carriage 10. The. two motors are arranged to run in o posite. directions when'excited and the D. motor 30 operates to move the are from its inoperative to its focal position, while the A. C. motor 31 operates to move the arc in a reverse direction. Motor 30 may be referred to, therefore, as the advancing or" replacement m'otor and motor 31 as the retracting motor. It is obvious that a single A. (1., D. C. reversible motor may be used in stead of the two motors. if desired.

One method of controlling the motors and lamps is shown in Fig. 7 "The remote control master switch is shown at 35 and "a sec- !0 0nd controlling switch may be mounted on the switchboard panel shown at 35'. Each switch preferably has three ositions; (a) for the ncandescent light, (I) the inoperative or open circuit position, and c) the arc lamp position. An A. C. supply b is shown for the system, the same supplybeing used to operate the incandescent light through the transformer 36. For furnishing the D. C.

from relays and 49 so that when the arcv is extinguished for any reason the circuit through 141 isbrokfin at 69 on relay 49 and switch 41' opens, s utting' down the motor generator set but leaving the circuit to lamp 29 closed. The above described switch 20 has the front contact 41 in circuit with the D. G. advancing motor 30 and two back-contacts 42 and 43, the former being in circuit with the A. C. retraction motor 31. The latter contact 43 is placed between relay 44 and the automatic throw-out thermostat and/ or relay 54. The winding of relay 44 is only excited when both contact 46 on relay 45 and contacts 68 on relay 49 are closed. The former is controlled jointly by opposed wind ings, 45 in series with the arc and 58 in circuit'with a 'dela ed action contactor 57 on relay 51, the action being that switch 46 is closed and remains closed when 45 or when 45 and 58 are excited, but is opened when the arc circuit through 45 is broken and coil 58is excited. Switch 46 is alsobiased to the open position when. both windings are dethis conditionthe switch 20-is swung to the right in Fig. 7, closing contacts 42 and 43 through the are safety thermostat and the A 0. retraction tractor and holding open contact 41 in circuit with the D. C. advancing motor. Since the former circuit is closed, c011 52' of relay is excited and holds the main arc circuit closed at 51. Should the arc fail or relay 51 open, the series current relay- C. power to the incandescent lamp by the de energization of the solenoid 47 on relay 47.

This will also open the A. C. suppl to the motor generator set at the relay switch 41,

as explained, thereby cutting 01! the D. C.

supply. At the same time coil 49 or rela 49 will be deenergized, closing contacts 67 and 68 and openin contacts 69. In the wirin iagram a slow starting method of lightmg the incandescent lamp is shown because for a large ca acity incandescent lamp it is necessary to ring it up to full brilliancy slowly. he incandescent lamp will, therefore, be dimly illuminated at first through resistance R, and the. A. C. retracting motor will operate pulling the arc lamp out of position and the incandescent lamp into position. Up'on the closing of de-: layed action switch'67 y spring arm 50, relay 48 closes, cutting out R and bringing the lam up to full illumination. en the lamp exchange is completed the lamp column engages the switch 20 and trips it to reverse pos1t1on, that is, swinging it to the left in Fig. 7, thus closing thecontact 41 and opening contacts 42 and 43, thus breaking the circuit through the retraction motor 31. The retracting movement of the lamp is, therefore, arrested at the proper position and the apparatus now operates as an incandescent unit. If desired, additional positive stops may be provided which act immediately after the circuit is broken through either motor. f

Let us assume now that the lighting unit is completelyturned ofi bythe opening of switch 35 or 35'andthat the arc has been repaired or recarboned in the meantime. When the switch 35 or 35' is again closed, the motor generator set 37 will immediately start up because the coil 141 has been deentactor 51 is 'held open by the current in the coil 52, but relay-44 is held open since the circuit of coil 44 is open at 68. Therefore,

the circuits to the change-over relay are inoperative. When the arc reaches its focal position the switch 20 is moved to the right in Fig. 7, i. e., to its original position described above, thus closing the circuit on the A. C. retracting motor at 42, closing'the relay circuit on the arc controls at 43 and opening the circuit on the 0. replacing motor at- 41. The-latter action halts the matic and provide for a'shut down in case.

of arc failure from any cause whatever, I have shown in Fig. 7 two automatic means for replacing the are which may be used either separately or together and in 'Fig. 8 I have shown still a third method. The are is shown as provided with a nose cap 52 which is placed in circuit with a local alarm such as a .bell 53 and a remote alarm 54' which may be placed adjacent the switch 35. When the are approaches the nose cap 52 too ciosely, the stray current leaking to the insulated nose cap 52 will operate the alarm bells,warning the operator that the arc is burning back too far. When .the alarm sounds, the operator may throw switch 35 -or 35' or the equivalent, shutting ofi the arc andgreplacing it by the incandescent light.

- Unless one promptly shuts the are down. the

current in this circuit will go on increasing and build up sufiici'ent strength in the relay 54 to open that switch. Relay switch 54 is in series with switch 43 so that when either is opened'it breaks the circuit through the winding 52' of the relay 51 thus opening the main contact switch 51 of the arc circuit. This type of control is known as the third electrode type and is described more completelyin Patent No. 1,690,550 to M. L. Pat-- terson, dated November 6, 1928.

Instead of or in addition to this type ofcontrol, I may use auxiliary thermostat 55 on the lamp on which rays are directed by lens 55' and which is normally closed, but when the positive electrode'burns back too far the thermostat opens the contact 56 breaking the circuit to the switch 43 as before. This type is known as the auxiliary thermostat type, another form of whichis described more fully in the copending application No.' 337,577, Robert Bohmfeldt inventor, safety mechamsm for are lamps, filed February 5, 1929, and assigned to the assignee of the present application. In this application, the thermostat is of the normally open type, while according to my invention, I prefer a normally closed type of thermostatic switch55. If, after an emergency changeover to the incandescent lamp, the lamp has been repaired or replaced in operating shape and switch 35 is again closed, the arc will again place itself in the operating position automatically as above described, but if it fails to start after a predetermined interval determined by the time lag switch 57, the incandescent light will again replace the are because, unless current is established through 45, the closing of switch 57, after an interval which completes a circuit through an opposed winding 58 on the relay 45, will open the switch 46, throwing in the incandescent lamp as before described. I

Fig. 8 shows a simple form of automatic control. In this figure the winding 60 represents the main voltage winding controlling the feed of the negative electrode. On this main winding is placed an opposed winding if at that time the arc lamp is in the focal po- 'sition, it will be moved out of position automatically and lamp 29 moved into position, since contact 35.a is across contacts 57 and coil 58 is energized while 45 is not, thus holding switch 46 open.

To improve the operation of my floodlight, I prefer to employ a shadow bar preferablypositioned vertically within the lamp in front of the light source. The purpose of this bar is to prevent the beam from blinding the aviator when landing or taking off into the beam and for this purpose the bar is preferably made adjustable about its pivotal axis of support 71 so that the shadow may be positioned at will by the operator as by handwheel 72. Preferably the shadow bar may be positioned from a distance and for this purposea controller 73 is provided, which may be positioned adjacent the remote control switch 35. Said controller contains a transmitter 74 for actuatingat a distance a repeater motor 75 of any desired form, the latter being geared to a gear sector 76 secured to shaft 71. The controller is shown as provided with an operating handle 77 which is preferably geared to the transmitter 74 so that the handle will rotate through the same angle as the shadow bar 70. Preferably the handle is also equipped with an indicator 78 which may read on a scale 79 and the controller is preferably positioned so that the indicator 78 points in the same direction as the shadow cast by the bar 7 0. By this means the operator may quickly position the bar so that the shadow cast thereby is effective to prevent the direct beam from striking the and beam con sider to represent the best embodiment there of,.but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the com' bination and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends'to such Havin described my invention, what I claim an desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A lightin unit comprising a single lamp housing and ocusin system, an arc lam therein normally positioned at the focus an slidably mounted so as to be moved out of focus, a'pivotally mounted auxiliary incan-.

descent lamp, and means for, swinging said incandescent lamp into focus as the arc lamp is moved out of focus and vice versa.

2. Y A lighting unit comprising a single lamp housing and therein normall positioned at the focus,'an .auxilia sive to ailure of the arcing tips of the electrodes tokeep in focus, and means brought v into action thereb for extinguishing the arc moving saidarc amp outof the focus an ocusing system, an arclamp incan escent lamp, means responsaid incandescent lamp into focus andlight mg up said incandescent lamp. 3

- 3. lightin unit'comprisinga'single lamp housing and ocusing system, an arc-lamp and an incandescent lamp-therein, means for lighting either lamp at will, and means'jor 1 automaticall bringing the'illuminated lamp into focus i p out of ocus and moving the other lamp out of focus.

' 4. A lighting unit comprising a housing and 'beam co nsingsystem, an arc lamp mechanism therein,-an incandescentlamp also therein, means for. lighting either lamp atjwill, and means responsive to the li hting of'a lam for moving the illumina 5. A' lighting ensing system, an arc lamp mechamsm therein, an incandescent lamp also therein, .mean'sLfor lighting the "arc, means responsive thereto for movlng said are lamp into the focus of the condensing system, if out of focus, and means for automatically removindg the arc lamp from and moving the wcent lamp mto focus and lighting the'latte'r on failure of the former."

i j '6. A comprising a single lamp Y honsing'i and focusing. m', an arc lamp -ihfifim "m maBy positioned at the focus. I turning'on'tl ae arc, and delayed action means escent lamp, means for moving the arc lamp out of p, into the cons of the condensing system if out of focus at the timeof lighting.

1 and lighting the same.

accuse therein normall positioned at the focus, an V auxilia incan escent lamp, means responsive to t e burning of the positive electrode back too far for breaking the arccircuit, and means brought into action thereby fol. sition and the incandescent lamp into position and for lighting the latter.

s. In a floodlight for air ts, an adjustable shadow bar mounted t erein, a repeater motor for turning the same, a transmitter for 0 rating said repeater motor, and manua y operative meansfor turning said transmitter, said means having an indicator which turns therewith and is adapted .always to point in the direction of the shadow cast by said bar.

9. In a floodlight for airports, an. adjustable shadow .bar mounted thereinya repeater motor for turning the same, a transmitter for operating said repeater-motor, and manually operative means for turning said transmitter, said means adapted always to point in the direction of the shadow cast by'said Bar.

19. A li hting unit comprising a single lamp housing and focusing system, an arc lamp tlierein normally positioned at the focus, an auxiliary incandescent lamp, means responsive to the burning of the positive electrode'back too far for breaking the are 3 circuit including ,athermostatic circuit break- I lamp therein. normally positioned at the fo cus, an auxiliary incandescent lamp, means responsive to the burning f the positive electrode back too far for breaking the arc circuit, means including. athird electrode umt comprising a 1101181118- for preventing damage to the lamp, a bucking coil on'the negative feed control solenoid in circuit with said third electrode for breakthearc, and'means for simultaneously bringing the incandescent lamp into position 12. A hting umt comprising a single lamp housing and focusing system, an arc lamp therein normally positioned at the focus,;an auxiliary, incandescent lamp, a door for obtaining access' to the interior of said housing, means responsive to improper .functionifig of the arc, and means brought-into action thereby for moving said arc lamp out of fpcus and said incandescent lamp ,into focus and lighting up said incandescent lamp, said movement acting to bring said are lamp adjacent said door when moved out of focus for the purpose specified.

13. A 1i hting unit comprising a single lamp housing and focusing system, an are 5 lamp therein normally positioned at the focus,

an auxiliary incandescent lam a signal responsive to improper functiomng of the arc, and means whereby, upon operation of said signal, said are lamp may be extinguished and moved out of focus and said incandescent lamp may be moved into focus and illuminated.

14:. A lighting unit comprising a single lamp housing and focusing system, a slidably mounted arc lamp therein normally positioned at the focus, a pivotally mounted aux.- iliar incandescent lamp, means for extinguis ing the arc and means brought into action thereby moving said are lamp out of focus and for illuminating said incandescent lamp and swinging it into focus.

. In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

FRANK R. HOUSE. 7 

